About the Kyoto International Manga Museum
Kyoto International Manga Museum access and user information
Kyoto International Manga Museum, opened in 2006 by Kyoto City and Kyoto Seika University, is a cultural facility dealing comprehensively with manga.
It has both museum and library functions, and approximately 50,000 manga titles from its collection are open to the public for free reading.
In recent years, Japanese manga culture has attracted attention from around the world for the depth of its stories that can be enjoyed by all ages and the appeal of its sensitive characters. As a museum where visitors can enjoy and learn about manga culture, it attracts many visitors from other countries such as China, France and the USA every year.
The first director of the museum was Professor YORO Takeshi, a medical doctor and well-known manga enthusiast, and the second and current director is the multi-talented researcher, novelist and TV personality ARAMATA Hiroshi.
Address | Karasuma-dori Oike-agaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto |
Tel | 075-254-7414 |
Access from nearest station | Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Oike Station (Karasuma and Tozai Lines), exit No. 2, go up the stairs, make a U-turn, and turn left at the Karasuma-Oike crossing. 2-minute walk north on Karasuma-dori. |
Opening hours | 10:30-17:30 (last admission 17:00) |
Closed | Wednesdays (or the following day if a bank holiday), year-end and New Year holidays, maintenance periods, etc. |
Admission | Adults 900 (720) yen, junior and senior high school students 400 (320) yen, primary school students 200 (160) yen. *Group rates for groups of 20 or more in brackets ( ). |
Facilities | bicycle parking available (approx. for 80 spaces), parking for wheelchair users (3 spaces), multipurpose toilet, wheelchair-accessible lift, baby care room. |
Note | No parking; guide dogs, assistant dogs and hearing dogs are allowed to enter the museum. |
Official website |
Kyoto International Manga Museum Highlights
Collections
Kyoto International Manga Museum houses and manages the manga materials held by the International Manga Research Centre of Kyoto Seika University.The collection is diverse and includes Edo caricatures, in which the roots of modern manga can be seen in expressions such as "speech bubbles" and "panels"; "Manga magazines" produced using Meiji-era printing technology; and the delicate manga original drawings, faithfully reproduced from the original works by the project "Dash", which aims to protect them are extremely valuable.
Architecture
Kyoto International Manga Museum is a reuse of the Tatsuike Elementary School building, which was constructed in the early Showa period. When the museum opened, it was renovated by connecting the main building, built in 1929, the north building, built in 1937, and the auditorium and gymnasium, built in 1928.
By taking over the history of the Tatsuike Elementary School, which was once a symbol of the area, the building has become a new spiritual home for local people. In addition to its retro appearance, the school's headmaster's office, tiled staircase and creaking corridors on the ground floor provide a glimpse into the school's past.
Representative past exhibitions
Kyoto International Manga Museum hosts a number of unique exhibitions that take a multifaceted view of manga culture. From 2020 onwards, the museum is also hosting a participatory online exhibition titled 'Manga Pandemic Web Exhibition', which is attracting a lot of attention.
〈Main exhibitions in recent years〉
'Akira Himekawa Original Art Exhibition - Reflecting on the Manga 'The Legend of Zelda'' (2021).
'Evidence and Messages from a Shrinking Society: Population and Economy / Medical Care and Welfare / Education and Culture / Regional and International Affairs, and Manga' (2022).
'Drawing People: Taniguchi Jiro Exhibition' (2022)
'African Manga Exhibition' (2023-2024)
Museum shop
The museum shop, located just inside the entrance on the ground floor, offers approximately 3,000 items related to manga and anime.A wide selection of original postcards and original clear files, ideal for purchasing as souvenirs or souvenirs of your visit, specialized books on manga research for those wishing to deepen their studies, and comics translated for the international market, are available to welcome visitors.
Opening hours | 10:30-17:30. |
Closed | Same as museum closures. |
Café and restaurant information
In front of the museum's first-floor entrance is the Kyoto International Manga Museum branch of "MAEDA COFFEE". Maeda Coffee is a long-established, well-known shop that has been a favorite in Kyoto for nearly 50 years since its establishment in the local area.
In addition to a wide variety of mornings, hearty lunches and a wide range of sweets, this shop is popular for its collaborative menus with special exhibitions that can only be enjoyed here. Be sure to check out the manga artists' handwritten illustrations and autographs on the walls! If you feel the need to take a break after a visit to the museum, come and visit here.
Opening hours | 10:00-18:00 (last order 17:30) |
Closed | Same as museum closures. |
Places to visit near Kyoto International Manga Museum
The Museum of Kyoto
The Museum of Kyoto is a cultural facility designed to bring visitors into close touch with Kyoto's outstanding cultural traditions and to stimulate the imagination of new cultures. In addition to learning about the history of Kyoto, the museum introduces outstanding items associated with Kyoto in line with its occasional programmes. The film theater shows classic films from the Kyoto Prefecture's collection.
Kunjukan
"Kouroho Shoeido Kunjukan" is a unique museum that offers a range of scents. The facility is operated by Shoeido, a long-established incense manufacturer and seller in Kyoto. The museum opened in 2018 in the hope of conveying Japanese fragrances to people and providing a place where they can encounter fragrances.
Here, visitors can enjoy learning about fragrance by smelling the various raw materials from which incense is made, seeing miniature reproductions of the incense manufacturing process, and actually touching a large sandalwood tree. One of the most unique features is the "Kaori Box.Each of the three scent boxes hanging from the ceiling is filled with a different fragrance, allowing visitors to fully immerse themselves in the aroma from head to toe.
Also, at the adjacent "Shoeido Kyoto Main Store," you can purchase a variety of fragrance-related goods, and if you make a reservation in advance, you can also visit the production site of the fragrance (weekdays only).
Address | East side, Nijo-agaru, Karasuma-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto |
Tel | 075-212-5590 |
Access from the nearest station | 3-minute walk from Exit 7 of Marutamachi Station on the Subway Karasuma Line |
Hours | 10:00-17:00 |
Closed | No regular holidays |
Admission | Free |
Facilities | parking available, elevator (wheelchair accessible), multipurpose restroom, parent-child restroom, diaper changing facilities, nursing room, parking space for wheelchair users (1 space), assistance dogs for the physically challenged are allowed. |
Official Web site |
node hotel
The concept of "node hotel" is "art collector's residence". I would like to live with art" or "I would like to have my own collection someday”, we recommend this hotel to those who have such a wish.It is conveniently located in the Shijo-Karasuma area, within walking distance of the "Kyoto International Manga Museum".